Blu-Ray Review: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE

Sometimes
it's cool to take a look back at a legendary director's humble
beginnings.

Before
he was synonymous with such atmospheric Italian horror
classics as Suspiria and Inferno, Dario
Argento first applied his unique skills to The Bird with the Crystal
Plumage, his 1970 directorial
debut. Though not a horror film per se, it was hugely influential
on, not only the giallo subgenre, but much of his own subsequent
work.

Tony
Musante is Sam, a struggling American writer in Italy who witnesses
an attempted murder, suspected to be the work of a black-gloved
serial killer who's already claimed three victims. For reasons that
aren't really explained, Sam's intrigued enough to do some
investigating of his own, with some extra assistance from Inspector
Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno). As the murders continue, Sam and his
girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall), become targets as well.

Suppose They Gave an Office Party and Nobody Came.

The
story itself is rudimentary and laughably illogical at times. The
characters and performances are uniformly bland, save for a bit of
delirious scenery-chewing by Eva Renzi. Aesthetically, this film
hasn't aged as well as those which would later gain Argento worldwide
acclaim. Still, few are as skilled at staging a murder scene as
Argento in his prime, and there are glimpses of the same visual mastery
that would become his trademarks. The
staircase/apartment murder sequence, in particular, is a disturbing,
tension-filled marriage of imagery and sound (the latter courtesy of
Ennio Morricone).

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Though the film has been available on Blu-Ray before, this version features a stellar 4K restoration and a slew of all new bonus features that Argento fans are sure to like, including some retrospective analyses and a lengthy interview with the director himself.

The
Bird with the Crystal Plumage doesn't rank among Argento's
greatest films, but everybody had to start somewhere. That alone
makes this a relatively fascinating viewing experience, like looking
back at Spielberg's Duel or Carpenter's Dark Star.
While not nearly as graphic as his later work, it's easy to see some of the
stylistic elements we identify with his classics. And sadly, like
John Carpenter, it's still a damn sight better than anything Argento's
done lately.

EXTRA
KIBBLES

FEATURETTES:

"The
Power of Perception" - A 'visual essay,' spoken by Alexandra
Heller-Nicholas over highlights of the film. This is quite
informative & insightful;

""Black
Gloves and Screaming Mimis" - Film critic Kat Ellinger duscusses
the history of the film

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About D.M. Anderson

D.M. Anderson works and lives in Portland Oregon. He is the author of two young adult novels (Killer Cows & Shaken) and a collection of dark tales (With the Wicked). He has also published several short stories which have appeared (or will appear) in various anthologies and magazines such as 69 Flavors of Paranoia, Night Terrors, Trembles, Encounters, Implosion, Strange Fucking Stories, Perpetual Motion Machine. He documents his adventures in the dark onon his movie site, Free Kittens Movie Guide.